1. Field of Invention
This invention broadly concerns a truck bed extension which can be readily mounted and detached from a conventional pickup truck bed. More particularly, it is concerned with a truck bed extension which may be coupled to the truck bed and tailgate for increasing the effective length of the truck bed which attaches to the existing tailgate latching hardware without the need for modification.
2. Background of the Invention
Pickup trucks have become a common conveyance for many people in lieu of an automobile. They have the ability to carry cargo and in recent years, many trucks include added passenger seating. In many instances, pickup tuck manufactures wish to avoid increasing either the wheelbase or the overall length of the truck when further seating capacity is added. As a result, the manufacturer often shortens the truck bed of the pickup.
Unfortunately, the result is a reduced cargo-carrying capacity. While traditional pickup truck beds have had a length of about 8 feet in order to carry standard dimensioned lumber and plywood of the length, many current pickup truck bed lengths are reduced to six feet or even four feet. As a consequence, many articles can no longer be successfully transported in the shortened bed.
Several attempts have been made to develop a suitable truck bed extender, and are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,658,033; 5,755,480; 5,816,637 and 5,820,188. However, a problem common to the teaching of each of these designs is their inability to be mounted and readily detached from standard pickup truck beds having latching assemblies, and may require the truck bed to be modified from its existing structure. This detracts from the use of the truck in its manufactured state when no extension is desired. Furthermore, prior art designs lack the combination of secure attachment to both the bed and the tailgate with the need for one-person attachment without the use of tools.
There has thus developed a need for a pickup truck bed extension which can be readily mounted and detached from the bed of a pickup having conventional latching mechanisms. There has further developed a need for a pickup truck bed extension which requires no modification of the truck bed itself, and thus can be used by a pickup truck owner who either lacks the desire or the skills necessary to alter the truck as provided by the manufacturer.
U.S. Ser. No. 09/510,040, of which this is a continuation in part, addresses almost all of these needsxe2x80x94the pickup truck bed extension disclosed therein can be readily mounted and detached from the bed of certain pickups having conventional latching mechanisms, without modification of the truck itself or the addition of hardware. However, the pickup truck bed extension of U.S. Ser. No. 09/510,040 is not suitable for use with all pickup trucks. Pickup trucks manufactured by GMC and Chevrolet, for example, have latching mechanisms that will not accept the pickup truck bed extension of U.S. Ser. No. 09/510,040. A need therefor existed for a pickup truck bed extension adapted to be used with pickup trucks having latching mechanisms that are incompatible with the extension shown in U.S. Ser. No. 09/510,040xe2x80x94and in particular that may be used with pickup trucks of the type manufactured by GMC and Chevrolet.
These and other objects have been largely met by the truck bed extension of the present invention. That is to say, the truck bed extension hereof can be securely coupled to the existing latching mechanism of a pickup truck bed and tailgate, requires no additional tools, is relatively light in weight and easy to handle, and can be readily mounted and detached without altering the configuration provided by the manufacturer.
The truck bed extension hereof is particularly designed to be mounted on a pickup truck bed having a deck and upright bed walls, including on a pickup truck manufactured by GMC and Chevrolet(copyright). The bed walls include upright and portions at the rear thereof, each end portion mounting opposed, inwardly extending generally horizontal posts. In addition, the tailgate is provided with releasable latches on each side thereof. Thus, in ordinary operation, the tailgate swings on a generally horizontal axis and when upright, the latch mechanisms at each side thereof receive the posts on the bed and hold the tailgate in an upright, closed position. By actuating a handle operatively coupled to the latching mechanisms in the tailgate, the tailgate is released and my be swung downwardly to a generally horizontal orientation, supported by a cable or linkage.
By taking advantage of this relationship, the truck bed extended hereof accomplishes the purposes set forth above. The extender includes a pair of laterally spaced, generally upright sidewalls and a transverse spacing element coupled therebetween. The sidewalls include lower rails which are provided with mating hardware which is positioned and configured for insertion into the latching mechanisms. The mating hardware is positioned on the lower rails so that upright pillars on the sidewalls are adjacent the upright rear portions of the pickup truck bed. U-shaped brackets are positioned on the pillars to receive posts or other hardware mounted on the standards by the manufacturer. The brackets and the mating hardware effectively lock the truck bed extension in place and resist movement thereof in each of three orthogonal axes. The truck bed extension may be quickly removed simply by actuating the handle on the tailgate of the pickup to release the mating hardware and then lifting the brackets off of the hardware extending inwardly from the bed. The truck bed extension preferably includes a safety support to prevent the extension from falling off of the truck during transit, and the extension may have tubular steel, solid or mesh walls, using the tailgate itself as the floor of the extension.
These and other advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the drawings and the description which follows.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a truck bed extension for mounting to a pickup truck is disclosed. The truck bed extension comprises, in combination: first and second substantially upright longitudinally extending sidewalls each having a forward margin and a lower margin; a transversely extending member interconnecting and transversely spacing the sidewalls; mating hardware located proximate the forward margin and dimensioned to couple to hardware located on a truck bed wall; and mating hardware located proximate the lower margin and dimensioned to couple to hardware located on truck tailgate. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.